Family Life
by amessoffand0ms
Summary: A collection of oneshots about Max and Zoe Walker-Hanna's life as married couple-and their growing family.
1. Part 1-Hope

Family Life-Part 1- **Hope**

"I can't believe that she's finally here." Zoe Walker-Hanna beamed, gazing down at her and Max's newborn baby girl.

"She's as beautiful as her Mummy." Max smiled, taking Zoe's free hand and giving it a squeeze.

"I love you." Zoe informed him.

"I love you too." Max smiled.

After their terrible wedding, and months of dancing around each other, Zoe and Max hand finally gotten back together. A few months later, they renewed their vows on Holby beach, with only Robyn, Lofty, and Dylan in attendance, with a reception in the Hope and Anchor afterwards, which many of their colleagues attended after they'd finished work.

Then, a while afterwards, Zoe discovered that she was pregnant, much to her and Max's surprise. A worrying 9 months had followed-Zoe hadn't had an easy pregnancy, she'd suffered very bad morning sickness and had gone into false labour twice.

But, finally, third time lucky, Zoe went into labour at about 3 in the morning, much to Max's dismay, and by 8AM, she was born.

"We still don't have a name for her..." The consultant mused. "Well, I do have one in mind, but I'm not sure if you'll like it."

"Go on."

"Hope." Zoe said, rocking the baby girl as she fussed. "It's okay, little one."

"I like it." Max said. "Because, sometimes, hope has been the only thing that we've had to cling onto." He dipped his head, remembering an incident a few months ago- Zoe had suffered a fall and had almost lost her baby.

"Exactly. What's the matter, Max?" Zoe asked worriedly.

"Just bad memories." Max lifted his head to gaze at her, tears glistening in his eyes. "So, Hope."

"Hope." His wife agreed.

"How about Emily for a middle name?" Her husband suggested.

"Hope Emily Walker-Hanna. I like it!" Zoe grinned, gazing down at the bundle of joy in her arms. "Hello, Hope Emily Walker-Hanna." She whispered, smiling as one of Hope's starfish hands wrapped around her finger.

"She knows her Mummy." Max smiled.

"She does." Zoe agreed.

Max placed a tender kiss on his daughter's head. "She's our little miracle."

"She certainly is. I'm so lucky to have her, and you. Someone up there in the clouds must be looking favourably on me."

"And me." Max chipped in. "I feel like the luckiest man alive."

"That makes me the luckiest woman, then." Zoe smiled.

Connie came in, interrupting their tender moment.

"Ah, Zoe. You should be able to go home soon, I'll do your final obs and then you can get dressed." Said the Clinical Lead.

"Okay, thank you." Zoe nodded.

"Also, the others are desperate to meet your little one, but if you don't want to be overcrowded, I can tell them that you don't feel up to it?"

"No, it's okay, we'll see them for a couple of minutes before we go home." Her colleague and friend responded.

"I'll go and pacify them whilst you get ready." Max said to his wife as Connie began to do her obs.

"Okey doke." Zoe leaned forward to give Max a kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too-both of you." Her husband smiled at Hope, and left.

"Here, I'll put her in the cot." Connie held her arms out.

"Thank you." Zoe smiled as the other woman took Hope from her.

"She really is beautiful, congratulations." The Clinical Lead smiled.

"Thank you." Zoe beamed. "It hardly seems real, you know? Like a dream."

"I get you." Connie answered, turning back to her.

Over the course of Zoe's pregnancy, she and Connie had built up a strong friendship. Connie was always there to offer Zoe reassurance, she'd been present at some of the scans, and had helped Zoe through Hope's birth. The two women had a connection-perhaps it was because Connie's own pregnancy hadn't been easy, neither had Grace's birth-so the older woman knew how scary it was for Zoe.

"Connie, I've been thinking."

"Hmm?" The brunette asked with a smile.

"Would you like to be Hope's Godmother? You've always been there for me during my pregnancy, and I want you to be in her life because you're a good friend, to myself and Max."

"Zoe, I don't know what to say... I'd be honoured!" Connie grinned.

"So that's a yes, then?"

"Of course I will." The other woman beamed, and the two shared a hug.

Connie left to let Zoe get dressed.

"Okay?" Max asked, entering the side room just as Zoe was getting her jacket on.

"Yes thanks." Zoe smiled, giving him a kiss. "I have some news."

"Oh?"

"Connie has agreed to be Hope's Godmother." She smiled.

"That's great news!" Max smiled. The two had talked about it before, and they were planning to ask Connie a few weeks ago- but Zoe had gone into false labour so that plan had been scuppered.

"It is." Zoe agreed, gazing down at her daughter, now asleep in the cot. "She looks so peaceful."

"Yep." Her husband smiled tenderly.

Zoe gently lifted Hope up, snuggling her against her shoulder as she fussed. "Where's her pram?"

"Oh, it's in your office." Max responded.

"Okay, can you go and get it, please? Also can you ward off anyone who wants to see Hope, I don't want to disturb her."

"Of course." He replied, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

A while later...

Zoe, Max, and Hope were finally home.

Zoe was in her and Max's room with Hope, whilst her husband made her something to eat.

"Here you are." Said Max, setting the tray down in front of Zoe and holding his arms out for Hope.

"Thank you." Smiled his wife, gently placing their daughter in his arms.

Hope opened her eyes briefly to look at her father, and then closed them again.

Max chuckled. "Comfy, are we?"

"Like you, she goes to sleep anywhere." Zoe said through a mouthful of toast.

"Manners!" Her husband pretended to scold her.

Zoe smiled in amusement, and took a drink of hot chocolate that he'd made her. "I'm going to feed her after I've finished this then get some sleep-she'll be awake again in a few hours!"

"Why don't you try expressing some milk tomorrow?" Max suggested. "Then I can help with the night feeds, I don't like waking you up."

"Maybe in a few days, but for now I'd just like to keep things as they are." Responded his wife.

Her husband nodded in understanding. Zoe had never even dared to dream that she'd be happy in a relationship one day-let alone married with a child. "Okay, I get you." He smiled.

A while later...

"She's in the land of nod." Zoe informed Max, climbing into bed beside him.

"Good." Max smiled as Zoe laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes. "You're amazing, you know that? You carried our child and gave birth to her-despite everything, you've been so brave."

"Thank you." Zoe kissed him."That means the world."

"It's the truth." Her husband answered. "I can't believe that I'm married to someone as gorgeous as you, or that we have a daughter."

"Less of the charming, Walker!" Zoe teased, leaning over him to switch the bedside lamp off. "That's a complete ditto, though." She whispered into the darkness.

Max grinned and pulled her closer. The two fell asleep in each other's arms, dreaming of a happy future as a family.


	2. Part 2-Shocks & Reassurances

Part 2-Shocks and Reassurance

"Zoe, come on! You'll make Hope late for preschool!" Max called to his wife.

"Okay." Zoe sighed.

The consultant sat on the edge of the bath, in total shock.

She snapped out of her trance and shoved the offending object in her bag, hardly daring to believe that what it said was true.

She made her way downstairs and out onto the drive, where Max was waiting in their family care, a Range Rover, with their two children, 3 & 1/2 year old Hope and one year old Oliver-the second addition to their family.

"Mummy?" Hope asked.

"I'm here, I'm okay." Zoe reassured.

"Sure?" Max asked as his wife put her seatbelt on.

"Yes!" Zoe snapped.

"Okay." Her husband smiled, knowing better than to argue, and drove off.

"Bye sweetheart." Zoe gave Hope a hug when they got to the preschool.

"Bye bye Mummy" Said Hope, and looked at Max. "Please tell Daddy what's wrong." She said, and gave Max a hug.

"Bye, Hope. Be good, yeah?" Max smiled at his daughter.

Hope nodded and ran to join her friends.

"Zoe, what is the matter?" Max asked as he and his wife made their way out of the preschool.

"I'll tell you at work." Said Zoe, shifting Oliver on her hip. He'd fallen asleep in the car.

"Okay." Max nodded, he trusted her and knew that she'd tell him her troubles when she was ready.

They got to the ED and Zoe gently woke her son up. "Come on Ollie, it's time for crèche."

"Mama." The little boy mumbled, opening his eyes and blinking at her.

Zoe smiled at him. "Hello. Come on, it's time to get out."

Max dropped Oliver off at the hospital creche, and Zoe made her way to her office.

"Connie." She caught the Clinical Lead's arm. "Can I talk to you?"

"Of course." Connie smiled, noting Zoe's worried expression. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know..."

"Okay." The other woman guided Zoe into her office and sat down on the sofa. Zoe did likewise.

"I'm pregnant again. I know for certain because I did a test a few days ago and one today- both were positive." Zoe whispered. "I don't know why I'm so shocked... It's just with Hope and Ollie already, you know? I don't know what Max is going to say... "

"Zoe, I'm sure that Max will be delighted, and Oliver and Hope will love having a little brother or sister." Said the Clinical Lead.

The other woman held her gaze. "D'you think so?"

"I know so. As doctors, we're not supposed to make promises, but I'll make an exception- Max will be overjoyed about your news- I promise."

Zoe nodded, and Connie gave her a quick hug.

"Now, go and find that husband of yours.'

The other woman smiled and stood up. "Thank you."

"It's what friends are for."

Zoe made her way back into the hustle and bustle of the ED, searching for her husband.

Her phone went off- she'd received a text from Max.

It read:

"Ready to tell me what's up? My office, 5 minutes- I'm bringing doughnuts."

The female smiled- everything would be alright.

"Hello you." Max smiled a few minutes later as Zoe entered the cupboard and shut the door.

"Hey." Zoe responded, grinning as he pulled her into his arms.

"So?"

"So... Um." Zoe met his gaze. "I, we... We're having another baby."

His face lit up. "That's great news!" He placed a hand on his wife's tummy.

"You're okay with it?' She asked.

"Yes, more than okay! I'm over the moon!" Max responded, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her.

Zoe let out a sigh of relief. "I love you."

"I love you too. Both of you." Her husband answered with a smile. Zoe placed her hand over his on her tummy.

"So shall we tell our other two later on?" She suggested.

"Okay- when shall we tell the others here?"

"When I've had the first scan." The consultant decided. Her second pregnancy with Ollie had been a lot easier, Zoe and Max had told everyone their happy news when Zoe was two months along- the couple had decided that the more people knew, the more able they'd be to help if anything went wrong.

Zoe and Max ate their doughnuts, and then made their way back to Connie's office.

"It's mine and Connie's admin day today, so I'll be in her office if anyone wants anything." Zoe informed her husband.

"Alright, I'll see you at lunchtime then?" Her husband asked.

Zoe nodded and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you."

"And I love you both too." Max smiled, and with a kiss, was off.

"So, how did it go?" Connie asked a while later.

"Max is over the moon." The other woman beamed.

"See, I told you!"

"Hmm." Her colleague nodded, signing a GP letter.

"So when are you telling everyone else here?"

"After the first scan." Zoe replied. "How much more have we got to get through?"

"Not much, actually."

The consultant checked her watch. "I'm meeting Max for lunch, he didn't specify a time though."

As if by magic, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in!" Zoe and Connie called in almost perfect unison.

"Hello, Connie, Zoe." Max greeted the two as he entered the room.

"Max." The Clinical Lead nodded in greeting, adding another file to the pile of finished paperwork.

Zoe stood up. "Come on, Max. I'm dying for a cuppa." She said, slipping her blazer on and grabbing her bag.

"Your wish is my command." Her husband beamed.

"Congratulations, by the way." Connie called to their retreating backs.

Max frowned. "Does she..?"

"Yes. I had a bit of a panic about telling you about our third little one but she talked some sense into me." Zoe responded.

He smiled. "Fair enough."

A few hours later...

The Walker-Hanna family were now home.

Zoe and Max had decided to move shortly after Oliver was born, and were now living in a large 6 bedroom house quite near to Holby beach.

Zoe was sat on the sofa in the living room with Hope watching TV, Max was changing Ollie.

"Did you tell Daddy what was wrong?" Hope asked her Mum, cuddling into her.

"About that..." Zoe ruffled her daughter's hair as Max entered the room with Oliver in his arms.

"Are we telling them?" He asked.

Zoe nodded, Max sat down next to his wife and daughter.

The consultant smiled as her son mad his way onto her lap. "Hello, you."

"Telling us what?" Hope asked.

"Well the thing is..." Max began.

"I'm having a baby." Zoe finished.

The little girl frowned and looked at her brother. "You mean another baby?"

The couple nodded.

Hope gestured to Zoe's tummy. "There's a baby in there? Oh, your tummy will get bigger and you'll get grumpy like last time?"

Max snorted with laughter and Zoe shot him a death glare. "Yes, sweetheart. Are you happy about it? And the baby is only very small just now."

Hope nodded. "I am."

Zoe smiled, relief washing over her. "That's great."

"You'll still love me and Ollie, though?" The little girl frowned.

"Of course we will, just as much as we do now." Max reassured his daughter.

"Good." She smiled.

"How about a takeaway and a film?" The consultant suggested.

"Okay." Hope grinned.

Zoe smiled, glad that her daughter had taken the news so well. Oliver, on the other hand, had fallen asleep, so clearly he was okay with the news too!


	3. Chapter 3-Complete

Part 3-Complete

3 years later...

"He's so cute, Mummy! Can I hold him?" Hope asked her Mum.

"Of course you can." Zoe smiled, making sure her daughter was properly sat on the hospital bed beside her before slipping Zachary, the latest addition to their family into her daughter's arms

"Here you go-Zachary, meet your eldest sister, Hope." Zoe beamed.

"Hello, Zach." Hope cooed at her little brother. "I'm your big sister. Well, there's Poppy and Anna too, but they're littler." She referred to her three year old twin sisters. "And there's Oliver, your big brother. He's ever so excited to meet you, he can't wait to teach you how to play football. I think that you'd like ballet like me, Poppy, and Anna do, but we'll see." She chattered happily.

"Zachary can like ballet if he wants to-I don't think that he'd like to wear a tutu, though!" Max chuckled.

Hope laughed. "Yep!" She said, then frowned. "Zachary's getting heavy."

"Come here." Max held his arms out and Hope handed her brother back to her father.

"Hello, son." Max rocked the baby gently.

Zachary stirred, and yawned.

"He's tired." Zoe chuckled.

"I am too." Hope snuggled into her mum. "I love you, Mummy."

Zoe ruffled her daughter's hair and kissed her forehead. "I love you too, sweetheart. We're going home when Connie checks me and Zach over and says it's okay for us to go."

"I know, I remember when the twins were born." Hope nodded. She wanted to be a doctor, just like her mum.

Every school holiday, Hope went into the ED at least once with her mum when it was quiet. One of Zoe's favourite pictures that she'd taken of her brood over the years was one of Hope wearing her Mother's purple stethoscope, listening to Poppy's heartbeat.

"Aww, well done!" Zoe smiled.

"He's asleep." Smiled Max, and laid his son in the hospital cot.

"I think that Hope's heading that way too-good job it's Summer holidays!" Zoe chuckled.

"I'll go and find Connie, see if she's free to check you over." Said her husband.

"Okay." Zoe smiled.

Max left the side room that they were in, and after checking that Zach was sound asleep, Zoe lay back against her pillow and closed her eyes, reflecting.

After the twins were born, Zoe and Max had decided that 4 children were quite enough, and that they didn't want any more, for the time being, at least.

Zoe had begun to suspect that she was pregnant again just after Oliver's 4th birthday. She had taken a test which had been negative. She'd told Max, and he encouraged her to take another one- which she did, and it had turned out to be positive. The couple were overjoyed, a fifth child was the icing on the cake.

They'd had to move from their flat due to their expanding family just after the twins were born-Hope wasn't fond of sharing a room with Oliver as it was-she couldn't cope with her sisters as well!

The Walker-Hanna clan moved to a large, 7 bed roomed house which looked out over Holby beach. Somehow along the way they'd managed to amass 2 guinea pigs whom Hope had named Salt and Pepper, a goldfish called Dory, a black and white kitten named Spot, and a border terrier named Scruffy-life in their house was manic at the best of times!

Of course, Zoe insisted that she wasn't that fond of the animals, but truth be told, she loved walking Scruffy and had enjoyed the company of Spot whilst she was on maternity leave, before Max took paternity leave.

The only qualm Zoe had about Dory, the goldfish, and Salt and Pepper, the guinea pigs, was having to clean their bowl and cage respectively, so she usually made Max do it!

"Zoe, Hope." Max said softly.

"Mm?" Zoe asked-she'd almost dropped off, and Hope had fallen asleep.

"Connie's coming in a few minutes." He said.

"That's great." Zoe smiled.

Max nodded. "I love you."

"I love you too." She beamed, leaning up to kiss him.

"I just called Robyn, by the way." Said Max. When Zoe had gone into labour, Robyn had offered to babysit her nieces and nephew. Hope had insisted on coming with her parents to the hospital-Zoe had had to have a C-section when the twins arrived, so the little girl was very worried.

Luckily, Grace, whom Hope had struck up a friendship with, was also there, and had stayed with the younger girl in the ED staffroom whilst Zoe gave birth to Zachary.

"Ah, how is everyone?" His wife asked.

"The kids are fine, they've had pizza for their tea. Anna is asleep, and Poppy and Oliver are watching a film, Poppy's nearly asleep. The pets have all had their tea too, Scruffy and Spot are snoring away on the sofa, Salt, Pepper, and Dory are fine as well."

"That was a very thorough report." Zoe observed with a smile. "And Robyn?"

"She's fine." Max smiled. "Tired, happy, and wants to meet her new nephew."

"Well, she, your Mum, and my parents can come over in the next few days-I think that we'll spend a few days as a family before Zach meets everyone here, though. I just want a quiet few days." Zoe said.

"I'm sure that they'll understand." Smiled her husband, squeezing her hand.

There was a knock at the door, Max let Connie in.

"Hello." The Clinical Lead smiled. "How are you feeling, Zoe?"

"Tired, sore, but very happy." Beamed her friend. "Still, I've done it all before more than once-this is old hat to me." She chuckled.

Connie laughed. "That's true. Right, I'll do your obs and then you can get home."

"Okey doke." Zoe smiled.

Max lifted a sleeping Hope off the bed and Connie checked Zoe and Zachary over.

"I'm very happy to give you both a clean bill of health." She smiled. "I'll just get your discharge papers."

"That's brilliant news." Max smiled, rocking Zachary, who was fussing. "Er, Zoe?"

"We might be a while-Zachary's hungry." Zoe smiled as Max handed Zachary to her.

"Okay." Connie smiled.

Connie went to get the discharge papers, Zoe fed Zachary. Max and Hope sorted out Zach's going home outfit.

A while later...

Both Zachary and Zoe were dressed and ready to go, everything was packed away.

"Let's be getting home, then." Smiled Max.

A while later...

"Mummy!" said Oliver when they got home. "Can we see Zachary? Are you okay?"

"Zach is sleeping." Zoe nodded down to her youngest, who was snuggled up in his mother's arms, dead to the world. To Zoe's surprise, only Oliver seemed to be still up. Hope had fallen asleep in the car.

"You're going to have to be very quiet." Max warned. "Where's Auntie Robyn?"

"Reading Poppy a bedtime story." Said Oliver.

"Okay." Zoe said, knowing that Poppy probably would have cottoned on to the fact that her parents were home with her new sibling- she'd then wake her sister.

"I'll go upstairs and see what's happening." Said Max. "I'll put Hope to bed, too."

"Okay." Zoe said, giving her daughter a kiss on the forehead. "Goodnight, sweetheart."

She made her way into the lounge, sat down on the sofa and rocked Zachary, who was fussing in his sleep.

At that moment, Robyn came downstairs, a sleepy Poppy in her arms.

"Hello." Greeted the nurse brightly. "How are you?"

"Zachary is fine, Max is okay I think, and I am tired but happy. Did the kids run you ragged?"

"Not as much as I suspected- Ollie told us all about the night that the twins were born, it turned out to be a bit long-winded. And that's great." Robyn beamed, sitting next to Zoe?

Zoe chuckled. "Ah, I've heard his recollection of events many a time." She chuckled.

Robyn laughed. "He tends be a bit economical with the truth! May I hold my new nephew, please?" she asked.

"Of course." Smiled Zoe.

"Mummy." Poppy mumbled sleepily. "Is Zachy here?"

"Yeah, he is." Zoe replied with a smile. "D'you want to see him?" She asked.

Poppy nodded, and wriggled out of her auntie's arms. "Zachy." She said, gazing at her little brother. "He's so small."

"Just like you were when you were a little baby." Zoe smiled as she handed her sleeping son to her sister in law.

Poppy gave her Mum a cuddle. "I love you, Mummy."

"I love you too." Zoe smiled.

Max entered the room, holding Anna's hand.

"Mummy!" the younger of the twins flew into her mother's arms.

"Shush, you'll wake Zachary!" Oliver warned.

"All right, bossy!" Anna made herself comfortable on Zoe's lap next to Poppy. Max sat down next to his wife. "You okay?" He asked quietly.

"Yeah, just tired."

"I'd better be getting home, Lofty will be wondering what's happened!" Said Robyn, handing Zachary back to Zoe.

"Okay, thank you so much for looking after everyone, we definitely owe you, sis." Max answered.

"We really do." Zoe chipped in.

"I'll think of something." Replied her sister in law, said her goodbyes, and left.

"Right, monkeys, we'd better be getting you to bed." Said Zoe. "I'll tuck you in.

The three children went to bed surprisingly quietly, after giving their Dad a hug and Zachary a kiss on the forehead.

"They're all in the land of nod." Zoe said a while later as she made her way into the kitchen. Max was making them both some toast and Zachary was asleep in his Moses basket.

"Good good." Max smiled as Zoe slipped her arms round his waist.

"I love you." She informed him.

"I love you too." He smiled, kissing her.

"And I love you too, son!" Zoe said as Zachary began to cry.

She lifted her baby out of his Moses basket and cradled him. "Shh, yes I'll feed you soon but I need to eat too! It's all right little one, I'm here." She cooed, rocking her son.

Max watched the scene, a smile on his face. Hope had been a miracle, Oliver a happy surprise, the twins another joy, and Zachary the icing on the cake.

"Don't you think," Zoe said. "That our family's complete now? I mean, obviously we weren't going to have anymore after the twins-I'm not saying that I felt like anything was missing after they were born-I feel like Zachary being born just feels right, like everything has fallen into place."

"I know exactly what you mean." Beamed Max. "I never thought in a million years that I'd be settled down with a family, married to the woman of my dreams."

Zoe smiled. "I never thought that I'd be happy... Especially with someone as handsome and as lovely as you, and 5 children."

"Aww, Zoe!" Max chuckled. "I know that I'm handsome!"

She gave him a shove. "Did I mention modest?"

The End :) x


End file.
